The decision to dismantle the QA management track and place Test Leads under engineering line management is illogical. Career progression for testers has effectively ceased unless one transitions to development. Because developers naturally prioritize their own peers, testers are forced to compromise on quality to maintain political standing. It is statistically observable that incident rates have risen since this structural change.
Culturally, the environment has become hostile. A specific clique, which includes Principals and Leads, operates across teams to spread rumors and freeze out high performers. While HR was formally notified regarding this immature behavior, their intervention came too late to save valuable staff. Witnessing respected colleagues being pushed out was the catalyst for my departure.
Regarding compensation, the disparity is stark. Staff are told there is no budget for inflation-matched raises. This is particularly difficult to swallow during a period of bonus reductions and redundancies.
Favoritism is also evident in team budget allocation. Preferred teams enjoy high-quality dining, while others are restricted to alcohol-heavy nights out that alienate employees with families. The company Christmas party followed this pattern, devolving into a drinking session for specific departments.
Finally, the lack of professional standards is alarming. I have conversed with colleagues on teams lacking test environments who have been subjected to public ridicule. In one specific instance, a developer on loan to one of these teams was heard making highly unprofessional remarks about testers at a pub. Given the toxic clique involved and HR’s historical inability to manage such incidents, there is no psychological safety to report this internally.
